Frayser Pastor Accused of Writing Counterfeit Checks

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Frayser Pastor Accused of Writing Counterfeit Checks

(Memphis) A Frayser pastor is free on bond after his arrest for writing a bogus check to another church from a fake account.

Craig Wilson is charged with stealing thousands of dollars.

Wilson’s picture is on the sign here at New Beginning Baptist church where he is the pastor, but now that picture is popping up other places including a mug shot after his arrest for forgery and theft.

Deacons at the church say they don’t know anything about that arrest, but now they have questions.

“I ain’t heard nothing! Until I just came up and you talked to me I haven’t heard nothing,’ said Everett Rayford.

Rayford is the lead deacon at New Beginning.

He’s surprised by his pastor’s arrest, “I don’t know anything about his personal business or his personal life. I just know he’s the pastor of the church.”

According to the police affidavit Wilson wrote a counterfeit check to nearby Christ Baptist Church for almost ten thousand dollars.

He told the small church it could keep a thousand dollars if it wrote him a check back for the rest of the money.

News Channel 3 tried but couldn’t get in touch with Wilson or Christ Baptist to ask why it agreed, but Wilson’s assistant told me the whole story is made up and his boss never wrote a check to Christ Baptist.

“It’s surprising because he’s not that type of person, and this is something new to me,” said Deacon Perry Loverson.

The pastor bonded out on $2,000 bail Wednesday morning and is expected to be back in court Thursday to answer those charges.